literature

L'enfant Sauvage, by Gojira.

Deviation Actions

pillory-hymn's avatar
By
Published:
1.2K Views

Literature Text

Gojira is a French groove metal band that incorporate hints of death metal, ironically categorized sometimes as 'life metal' due to the fact of the lyrics covering subjects such as life, spirituality, and ecological themes, and the fact that when they want to write something heavy, you best believe it's going to be devastating. Gojira have a knack for being very versatile in what they write or play, changing it up from being consistently fast to slow and dark.

Back in my review for that recent The Mars Volta LP, I touched down on the subject of a liking only a few tracks from a bands discography. Another case in point that's even worse from my point of view, wasGojira. Their earlier material wasn't bad, but it definitely didn't stand out until the released From Mars to Sirius back in 2005, which is something you may want to listen to first, followed by the 2008's rather disappointing The Way of All Flesh, to see how much of an overhaul they made in the four years it took to make this album.

As for this album, I have to say, this is the most impressive full length that Gojira have put out. The production is very fluent and organic, despite how mechanical the band can be when they play, presenting such a very technical and calculated sound. The drums syncopate and accent at every moment, with the guitars playing very primal and simple riffs, complimented by a bass that rings out constantly in the background. The vocals are raw and emotional, as the vocalist gives it his all when he screams or sings. Instead of playing something new every few minutes, they focus more on the riff and the groove and rhythm of things before deciding to add in anything else. Moments in the album where melodic passages are woven into music can add a moment of clarity, thus giving the reason Gojira are such a highly favored band.

Which brings me to my next point. If your diving into this headfirst expecting some sort of technicality and something to make you go, 'This is fresh and something I've NEVER heard before!', then you will be sadly disappointed are hugely mistaken. Gojira don't rely on being something new in terms of music, they rely on emotion and feeling when they make music. This album is sets an atmosphere, it puts you in a certain mood by what they play, not how hard they shred or how technical and disjointed they can be. They take a sound, pioneer it, and play with all the might in their beings to make something beautiful as well as heavy. L'enfant Sauvage is a phoenix in the ashes of the previous album, and it is one of their best releases to date.
Final verdict: 8/10

Did you like this album? What were your thoughts listening to this? And what would you like to see reviewed in the future in the comments below?

Also, hooray for 10th review. Here's a toast to more down the road.
Comments1
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
LiveInPix's avatar
This is an awesome album... and french proud !! Headbang!